If you are hoping to add protected parking to your property, you might be stuck between a partially enclosed carport and a garage. It’s hard to know which of these two structures to choose, as each has some advantages. On this page, we’d like to break down the debate to help you confidently settle on an option that is right for your needs. 

You will want to have the right provider on your side to bring a carport or garage to life. These metal buildings are versatile, affordable, and durable—especially when you order from American Steel Carports, Inc. Explore our site’s Build & Price tool to see what you can create with us, and contact our team directly if you have any questions.  

Both Enclosed Carports and Garages are Useful

An enclosed carport or a garage can protect your vehicles and provide you with covered space for a number of other purposes. You don’t need to worry too much about the decision because, in the end, you are likely to be happy with either one.  

That said, there are some differences to understand. A traditional metal garage is a fully enclosed space with a roll-up door at the front. This is perfect for security purposes and is also nice if you want to work inside the garage and need to close it off to the elements.  

On the other hand, an enclosed carport typically has walls around the sides while being open in the front for vehicles to come and go. This has the advantage of convenience in terms of not needing to open and close the big door every time, but it doesn’t offer as much security. You won’t want to store your tools—or anything else other than a vehicle—inside a carport that isn’t secured at the front.  

Enclosed Carports and Garages Are Similar

You might notice as you start to experiment with the customization options at American Steel Carports, Inc. that the line is a little blurry between a garage and a carport. As you start to add more and more features to a carport, it will start to look awfully similar to a garage. In the end, what you call it doesn’t matter so much as how it functions. Think about what your uses will be for the new building, and then customize your design to match. It might be a carport, it might be a garage, or it might be something in between.  

Keep the Future in Mind 

One important thing to think about is how your uses for the building might evolve as the years go by. You might be planning on using the building one way now, but as time goes by, is it possible that other uses will come into the picture? If so, try to anticipate those changes and design your building to match. For instance, even if you don’t think you need the security of a garage now, opting for a structure with doors that can close and lock will give you more options down the road.  

Metal is the Perfect Material 

While there are plenty of choices to make when customizing a metal building, one thing you won’t have to decide is what material to use – because metal is the easy winner. Creating a carport or garage with metal will give you plenty of performance advantages over wood, both now and in the long run.  

With a metal building, you will enjoy a lower upfront cost due to materials prices and reduced labor requirements for construction. You’ll also have the benefit of needing to do very little maintenance to the building as the years go by since metal holds up nicely to the conditions and just needs to be washed off from time to time. Metal isn’t prone to fire risk like wood, it doesn’t attract pests, and it looks great. What’s not to love? 

Build an Enclosed Carport or Garage

No matter which you choose, a carport or a garage or even a garage with a carport, we are ready to help you bring your vision to life. American Steel Carports, Inc. has helped countless previous customers with these types of projects and we’d love to add your name to that list right away. We can’t wait to receive your order!